Concepcion allegedly shot a man during robbery of marijuana dispensary
By Mike Donoghue, Vermont News First
ENOSBURGH – A 16-year-old gang-affiliated offender, who police say is wanted for a New York City homicide and is a person of interest in two homicides investigations in Burlington last year, was arrested at a home in Enosburgh on Friday evening, authorities said.
Christian Concepcion was identified on Saturday as the defendant lodged by the U.S. Marshals Service at the Marble Valley Regional Correctional Facility in Rutland on Friday night, a corrections spokesperson said.
Concepcion, whose name was initially withheld, remained at the prison with no bail on Saturday.
It was unknown if, and when, Concepcion will have a hearing in federal court in Vermont before he is returned to New York to face the state charge.
He was taken into custody by a massive law enforcement presence of federal, state, county and local police that surrounded a house on Howard Road in Enosburgh, officials said.
The homicide in New York City involved a robbery at a marijuana dispensary with the employee getting shot, a spokesman said.
The teen had a link to a homicide investigation in Burlington in April 2023 and also had a possible connection to another homicide in Burlington in November 2023, police said.
Burlington Police officers were at the Enosburgh home on the dead end road and appeared to be seeking a search warrant on Friday night.
Burlington Police Chief Jon Murad did not respond to requests by text or phone seeking an interview Friday evening or Saturday. It was unknown if BPD has made any progress on the two cases.
The suspect has been floating between Burlington, Enosburgh and New York City for months, the U.S. Marshals Service said.
The Marshals Service, which is the primary fugitive tracking agency in the nation, has been searching for leads in Vermont, officials said.
The Marshals Service in Vermont said it got a recent lead the murder suspect might be in the Enosburgh area. Investigators flooded the Franklin County community starting late Friday morning. By early afternoon they heard the teen was hiding at a home on Howard Road and tightened their dragnet, officials said.
Investigation confirmed the suspect was hiding in the basement and he initially refused to come out, police said.
With an estimated 50 to 60 law enforcement officers in the area, the house was surrounded and the suspect realized it was best to surrender about 6 p.m.
The Vermont State Police special teams including its SWAT team, also known as its tactical services unit, and the bomb squad, provided technical assistance. A police K-9, a drone, an armored vehicle, and a helicopter were also brought in.